ISahluko 8

Ukulwela Ukuba Abanqobi

ISMIRNA

 1. (a) Yiliphi ibandla ngokulandelayo elamukela isigijimi esivela kuJesu okhazinyulisiwe? (b) Ngokuzibiza ngokuthi “owokuQala nowokuGcina,” uJesu wawakhumbuzani amaKristu kulelo bandla?

NAMUHLA, i-Efesu lasendulo selingamanxiwa. Kodwa lapho kwakuya khona isigijimi sikaJesu sesibili kuseyindawo yedolobha elimatasa. Cishe amakhilomitha angu-56 enyakatho namanxiwa ase-Efesu kunedolobha laseTurkey i-Izmir, lapho kukhona khona amabandla amane oFakazi BakaJehova ashisekayo ngisho nanamuhla. Lapha, kwakuyiSmirna, ekhulwini lokuqala. Manje, phawula amazwi kaJesu alandelayo: “Ingelosi yebandla laseSmirna yilobele lokhu: Yilezi izinto azishoyo ‘owokuQala nowokuGcina,’ owafa wabuye waphila.” (IsAmbulo 2:8) Ngokusho lokhu kulawo maKristu aseSmirna, uJesu uwakhumbuza ukuthi wayengumgcini wobuqotho wokuqala uJehova ngokwakhe amvusela ekuphileni komoya okungenakufa futhi waba owokugcina ukuba avuswe ngaleyo ndlela. UJesu ngokwakhe wayezovusa wonke amanye amaKristu agcotshiwe. Kanjalo uJesu ukufanelekele kahle kakhulu ukunikeza iseluleko kubafowabo abanethemba lokuhlanganyela naye ukuphila kwasezulwini okungenakufa.

 2. Kungani wonke amaKristu eduduzwa ngamazwi aLowo ‘owafa wabuye waphila’?

² UJesu wahola ekubekezeleleni ukushushiswa ngenxa yokulunga, futhi wathola umvuzo omfanele. Ukuthembeka kwakhe kuze kube sekufeni nokuvuka okwalandela kuyisisekelo sethemba kuwo wonke amaKristu. (IzEnzo 17:31) Iqiniso lokuthi uJesu “wafa wabuye waphila” libonisa ukuthi noma yini okumelwe ibekezelelwe ngenxa yeqiniso ayilona ize. Ukuvuka kukaJesu kuwumthombo wesikhuthazo esikhulu kuwo wonke amaKristu, ikakhulukazi uma kudingeka ahlupheke ngenxa yokholo lwawo. Ingabe usesimweni esinjalo? Khona-ke ungathola isibindi futhi emazwini kaJesu alandelayo ebandleni laseSmirna:

 3. (a) Yisiphi isikhuthazo uJesu asinika amaKristu aseSmirna? (b) Nakuba amaKristu aseSmirna ayempofu, kungani uJesu athi ‘acebile’?

³ “Ngiyalwazi usizi nobumpofu bakho—kodwa ucebile—nokuhlambalaza kwalabo abathi bona bangamaJuda bebe bengewona kodwa beyisinagoge likaSathane.” (IsAmbulo 2:9) UJesu akabagxeki abafowabo abaseSmirna, kuphela ubatusa ngokufudumele. Baye babhekana nosizi olukhulu ngenxa yokholo lwabo. Ngokwezinto ezibonakalayo bampofu, cishe ngenxa yokuthembeka kwabo. (Hebheru 10:34) Nokho, ukukhathalela kwabo okuyinhloko kusezintweni ezingokomoya, futhi baye bazibekelela ingcebo ezulwini, njengoba uJesu aluleka. (Mathewu 6:19, 20) Ngakho, uMalusi Omkhulu ubabheka ‘njengabacebile.’—Qhathanisa noJakobe 2:5.

 4. AmaKristu aseSmirna akuthola kobani ukuphikiswa okukhulu, futhi uJesu wababheka kanjani labo baphikisi?

⁴ UJesu uphawula ikakhulukazi ukuthi amaKristu eSmirna aye abekezelela ukuphikiswa okukhulu okuvela emaJudeni enyama. Ezinsukwini ezingaphambili, abaningi bale nkolo bakuphikisa ngokuzimisela ukwanda kobuKristu. (IzEnzo 13:44, 45; 14:19) Manje, emashumini eminyaka ambalwa nje ngemva kokuwa kweJerusalema, lawo maJuda aseSmirna abonisa umoya ofanayo wobusathane. Akumangalisi ukuthi uJesu ubabheka ‘njengesinagoge likaSathane’!a

 5. Yiluphi uvivinyo olwalulindele amaKristu aseSmirna?

⁵ Ebhekene nenzondo enjalo, amaKristu aseSmirna athola induduzo kuJesu: “Ungazesabi izinto osazohlupheka ngazo. Bheka! UDeveli uzoqhubeka ephonsa abanye KINI etilongweni ukuze NIVIVINYWE ngokugcwele, ukuze futhi NIBE nosizi izinsuku eziyishumi. Zibonakalise uthembekile kuze kube ngisho nasekufeni, khona-ke ngiyokunika umqhele wokuphila.” (IsAmbulo 2:10) Lapha uJesu usebenzisa indlela yesiGreki yobuningi, ebonisa ukuthi amazwi akhe ahlanganisa lonke ibandla. UJesu akanakuthembisa ukuthi uvivinyo lwamaKristu aseSmirna luzophela ngokushesha. Abanye babo bazoqhubeka beshushiswa futhi baphonswe etilongweni. Bazohlupheka “izinsuku eziyishumi.” Ishumi yisibalo esifanekisela ukuphelela kwasemhlabeni. Ngisho nalabo bagcini bobuqotho abacebile ngokomoya bazothola ukuvivinywa okuphelele lapho besesenyameni.

 6. (a) Kungani amaKristu aseSimirna kungafanele esabe? (b) UJesu wasiphetha kanjani isigijimi sakhe esiya ebandleni laseSmirna?

⁶ Nokho, amaKristu aseSmirna akufanele esabe noma ahlehle. Uma ehlala ethembekile kuze kube sekupheleni, abekelwe “umqhele wokuphila” njengomvuzo, ngokuqondene nawo ukuphila okungenakufa emazulwini. (1 Korinte 9:25; 2 Thimothewu 4:6-8) Umphostoli uPawulu wabheka lo mklomelo oyigugu njengofanelwe ukudela konke okunye, ngisho nokuphila kwakhe kwasemhlabeni. (Filipi 3:8) Ngokusobala, labo abathembekile baseSmirna bazizwa ngendlela efanayo. UJesu uphetha isigijimi sakhe ngokuthi: “Onendlebe makezwe lokho umoya okushoyo emabandleni: Onqobayo akasoze athintwa ukufa kwesibili.” (IsAmbulo 2:11) Abanqobi baqinisekiswa ngokuphila kwasezulwini okungenakufa, okungenakuthintwa ukufa.—1 Korinte 15:53, 54.

‘Ukuhlupheka Izinsuku Eziyishumi’

 7, 8. Njengebandla laseSmirna, ibandla lobuKristu ‘lavivinywa’ kanjani ngo-1918?

⁷ NjengamaKristu aseSmirna, isigaba sikaJohane nabangane baso namuhla baye ‘bavivinywa ngokugcwele,’ futhi bayaqhubeka bevivinywa. Ukuthembeka kwabo ngaphansi kovivinyo kubaphawula njengabantu bakaNkulunkulu. (Marku 13:9, 10) Ngokushesha ngemva kokuba usuku lweNkosi luqalile, amazwi kaJesu kumaKristu aseSmirna aletha induduzo yoqobo eqenjini elincane lezizwe zonke labantu bakaJehova. (IsAmbulo 1:10) Kusukela ngo-1879, laba bebemba eZwini likaNkulunkulu ingcebo engokomoya abaye bayihlanganyela nabanye ngokukhululekile. Kodwa phakathi neMpi Yezwe I, babhekana nenzondo ejulile nokuphikiswa, ngokwengxenye ngoba bengazange bahileleke empini futhi ngokwengxenye ngoba babedalula ngokungesabi amaphutha eLobukholwa. Ukushushiswa abakuthola kukhuthazwa abaholi abathile beLobukholwa kwafinyelela umvuthwandaba ngo-1918 futhi kwakufana nalokho amaKristu aseSmirna akuthola emphakathini wamaJuda.

⁸ Igagasi loshushiso e-United States of America lafinyelela umvuthwandaba lapho umongameli omusha we-Watch Tower Society, uJoseph F. Rutherford, nababekanye naye abayisikhombisa beboshwa ngo-June 22, 1918, abaningi babo begwetshwe iminyaka engu-20. Bakhululwa ngebheyili ezinyangeni eziyisishiyagalolunye kamuva. Ngo-May 14, 1919, inkantolo yokudlulisela amacala yakuhoxisa ukumangalelwa kwabo kwamanga; kwavezwa ukuthi kwakunamaphutha angu-130 ekuqulweni kwecala. UMahluleli Manton ongumRoma Katolika, isikhulu sesigaba sikaSt. Gregory oMkhulu, owayenqabe ibheyili yala maKristu ngo-1918, kamuva ngo-1939, wagwetshwa iminyaka emibili ejele kanye nenhlawulo ka-R20 000 ngamacala ayisithupha okufuna ukufumbathiswa nokuvuma ukufumbathiswa.

 9. OFakazi BakaJehova baphathwa kanjani uHitler eJalimane lobuNazi, futhi abefundisi basabela kanjani kukho?

⁹ Phakathi nokubusa kwamaNazi eJalimane, uHitler wawuvimbela ngokuphelele umsebenzi wokushumayela woFakazi BakaJehova. Iminyaka eminingi, izinkulungwane zoFakazi zazivalelwe ngonya emakamu okuhlushwa nasemajele, lapho kwafa khona abaningi, kuyilapho izinsizwa ezibalelwa ku-200 ezenqaba ukulwa ebuthweni likaHitler zabulawa. Ukusekela kwabefundisi konke lokhu kufakazelwa amazwi ompristi ongumKatolika, asakazwa ephephandabeni elithi The German Way lika-May 29, 1938. Ngokwengxenye, wathi: “Kukhona izwe elilodwa manje emhlabeni lapho labo ababizwa ngokuthi . . . abaFundi BeBhayibheli [oFakazi BakaJehova] bevinjelwe khona. Lelo zwe iJalimane! . . . Lapho u-Adolph Hitler eqala ukubusa, futhi uMkhandlu Wabefundisi BamaKatolika aseJalimane uphinda isicelo sawo, uHitler wathi: ‘Laba okuthiwa abaFundi BeBhayibheli Abaqotho [oFakazi BakaJehova] bangabaphehli benxushunxushu; . . . Ngibabheka njengabakhohlisi; angikubekezeleli ukuba amaKatolika aseJalimane onakaliswe ngale ndlela yilo Mahluleli uRutherford waseMelika; ngiyabaqothula [oFakazi BakaJehova] eJalimane.’” Kulokhu, umpristi wanezela: “Elethu!”

10. (a) Njengoba usuku lweNkosi luye lwaqhubeka, ikuphi ukushushiswa oFakazi BakaJehova abaye babhekana nakho? (b) Ngokuvamile uye waba yini umphumela lapho amaKristu elwela inkululeko engokwenkolo ezinkantolo?

¹⁰ Njengoba usuku lweNkosi luye lwaqhubeka, iNyoka nenzalo yayo abazange bayeke ukulwa namaKristu agcotshiwe nabangane bawo. Amaningi awo aye aboshwa futhi ashushiswa ngonya. (IsAmbulo 12:17) Lezo zitha ziye zaqhubeka ‘zenza ububi sengathi bungokomthetho,’ kodwa abantu bakaJehova baphikelela ngobuqotho: “Kumelwe silalele uNkulunkulu njengombusi kunabantu.” (IHubo 94:20; IzEnzo 5:29) Ngo-1954 INqabayokulinda yabika: “Amazwe angaphezu kwamashumi ayisikhombisa ngezikhathi ezithile phakathi neminyaka engamashumi amane edlule aye enza izimemezelo zokuvimbela futhi aye ashushisa oFakazi BakaJehova.” Lapho kuye kwaba nokwenzeka khona ukulwela inkululeko yenkolo ezinkantolo, la maKristu aye ayilwela futhi aba nempumelelo enkulu emazweni amaningi. ENkantolo Ephakeme yase-United States kuphela, oFakazi BakaJehova baye baphumelela emacaleni angu-50.

11. Yisiphi isiprofetho sikaJesu esiphathelene nesibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakhe esiye sagcwaliseka koFakazi BakaJehova phakathi nosuku lweNkosi?

¹¹ Alikho elinye iqembu eliye lakunakekela kangaka ukuthobela umyalo kaJesu wokunika uKhesari okukaKhesari. (Luka 20:25; Roma 13:1, 7) Nokho, alikho elinye iqembu okuye kwaboshwa amalungu alo emazweni amaningi kangaka ngaphansi kwezinhlobo eziningi kangaka zohulumeni, futhi lokhu kuyaqhubeka kuze kube sesikhathini samanje emazweni aseMelika, eYurophu, e-Afrika, nase-Asia. Isiprofetho esikhulu sikaJesu esiphathelene nesibonakaliso sokuba khona kwakhe sahlanganisa la mazwi: “Khona-ke abantu bayoninikela osizini banibulale, futhi niyoba yizinto zokuzondwa yizizwe zonke ngenxa yegama lami.” (Mathewu 24:3, 9) Ngokuqinisekile lokhu kuye kwagcwaliseka koFakazi BakaJehova abangamaKristu phakathi nosuku lweNkosi.

12. Isigaba sikaJohane siye sabanika kanjani abantu bakaNkulunkulu amandla okumelana nokushushiswa?

¹² Ukuze sinike abantu bakaNkulunkulu amandla okumelana nosizi, isigaba sikaJohane siye sabakhumbuza ngokuqhubekayo ngomongo wamazwi kaJesu kumaKristu aseSmirna. Ngokwesibonelo, lapho ukushushisa kwamaNazi kuqala, INqabayokulinda yesiNgisi ngo-1933 no-1934, yayinezihloko ezinjengezithi, “Ningabesabi,” esasixoxa ngoMathewu 10:26-33; “Uvivinyo Olunzima,” esasisekelwe kuDaniyeli 3:17, 18; nesithi “Imilomo Yezingonyama,” sisekelwe kuDaniyeli 6:22 njengombhalo oyisihluthulelo. Ngawo-1980, okuyishumi leminyaka okwashicilelwa ngayo le ncwadi okokuqala nalapho oFakazi BakaJehova beye bezwa ukushushiswa okunzima emazweni angaphezu kwangu-40, INqabayokulinda yaqinisa abantu bakaNkulunkulu ngezihloko ezinjengezithi “Masijabule Noma Sishushiswa!” nesithi “AmaKristu Abhekana Nokushushiswa Ngokukhuthazela.”b

13. NjengamaKristu aseSmirna, kungani oFakazi BakaJehova abangamaKristu beye bangakwesaba ukushushiswa?

¹³ Ngempela, oFakazi BakaJehova abangamaKristu babhekana nokushushiswa ngokwenyama nolunye uvivinyo izinsuku eziyishumi ezingokomfanekiso. NjengamaKristu emuva eSmirna, abazange besabe; futhi akekho kithi okudingeka esabe njengoba izinkathazo ziya zidlulela emhlabeni. Sikulungele ukukhuthazela ngaphansi kokuhlupheka ngisho ‘nokuphangwa kwezinto zethu’ ngentokozo. (Hebheru 10:32-34) Ngokutadisha iZwi likaNkulunkulu nokulenza elethu, siyohlonyiselwa ukuba sime siqinile ekukholweni. Qiniseka ngokuthi uJehova angakulonda futhi uyokulonda ebuqothweni bakho. ‘Phonsa zonke izinkathazo zakho phezu kwakhe, ngoba uyakukhathalela.’—1 Petru 5:6-11.

[Imibhalo yaphansi]

[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 39]

Iminyaka eminingi, izazimlando bezinikeza ubufakazi ngokuqondene nobuqotho boFakazi BakaJehova abangamaJalimane phakathi nokubusa kwamaNazi. Incwadi ethi Mothers in the Fatherland, yesazimlando uClaudia Koonz, eyakhishwa ngo-1986, ithi: “Inani elikhulu kakhulu lawo wonke amaJalimane avela ezizindeni ezingezona ezobuNazi lathola izindlela zokuphila ngaphansi kwesimiso sokubusa elalisinengwa. . . . Ngakolunye uhlangothi lwezibalo nemibono kwakukhona oFakazi BakaJehova abangu-20 000, eqinisweni bonke ngothi lwabo, abenqaba ngokuqondile noma yiluphi uhlobo lokuthobela umbuso wamaNazi. . . . Iqembu labaphikisi elibumbene kunawo wonke lalisekelwa yinkolo. Kusukela ekuqaleni, oFakazi BakaJehova abazange babambisane ngisho nakwesisodwa isici sombuso wamaNazi. Ngisho nangemva kokuba amaGestapo ebhubhise indlunkulu yabo yesizwe ngo-1933 futhi alivala leli hlelo ngo-1935, benqaba ngisho nokuthi ‘Heil Hitler.’ Cishe ingxenye yabo bonke oFakazi BakaJehova (iningi kungamadoda) yathunyelwa emakamu okuhlushwa, inkulungwane yabo yabulawa, futhi enye inkulungwane yafa phakathi kuka-1933 no-1945. . . . AmaKatolika namaProthestani ezwa abefundisi bawo bewakhuthaza ukuba abambisane noHitler. Uma enqaba, ayephula imiyalo yakho kokubili isonto nombuso.”